NFL Analysis

5 things you need to know for Sunday

By Daniel Kelley &bullet;
Jun 4, 2017

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 8: Wide receiver Tyreek Hill #10 of the Kansas City Chiefs high fives teammate Jeremy Maclin #19 after a touchdown catch at Arrowhead Stadium during the second quarter of the game on December 8, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Hello football fans! Here are the five things you need to know from Saturday to start your day:

The biggest news across the football landscape of the weekend has been the release by the Kansas City Chiefs of WR Jeremy Maclin. Early reports since Maclin hit free agency are that the “perfect landing spot” for the ex-Chief and Eagle could be the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, back in Kansas City, 2016 rookie Tyreek Hill is set to open the season as the Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver.

A career might have ended in Baltimore over the weekend, with TE Dennis Pitta reportedly dislocating his hip for the third time in recent years. The injury will send Pitta to surgery, costing him the 2017 season and more than likely the rest of his career. The Ravens still have Ben Watson, Maxx Williams, and Crockett Gillmore to fill in at the tight end position, but Pitta led all tight ends in receptions in 2016 with 86, so his loss will leave a lot of production unfilled.

After helping the team on a Super Bowl run and putting up the fourth-best overall grade in that Super Bowl against the Patriots, free agent edge defender Dwight Freeney has said he is interested in returning to the Atlanta Falcons for 2017. Freeney, a 15-year veteran, played almost exclusively as a pass-rusher in the 2016 season, but can still produce in that role, notching a grade of 78.3 and totaling the most pressures in all of football in the 2016 playoffs.

Fifth overall pick Corey Davis is the big new name among Tennessee Titans wide receivers, but third-round pick Taywan Taylor is apparently also turning heads in Titans OTAs, per reports. Taylor put up big college numbers at Western Kentucky, with the No. 7 overall WR grade in 2015 and the No. 13 in 2016. His passer rating when targeted at Western Kentucky never dipped below 134.8 for a season. Davis and Rishard Matthews will likely open the season as the Titans’ top two receivers, but Taylor will battle Tajae Sharpe and Harry Douglas for the team’s No. 3 role.

Doug Baldwin and Jarvis Landry are two similar players when it comes to fantasy. Both are slot-heavy guys who have been top-20 fantasy receivers each of the last two years, and better in PPR leagues. PFF Fantasy writer Michael Moore dives in on the two guys to evaluate which one fantasy players should be aiming for in drafts heading into the 2017 season.